Ladders experience horizontal as well as vertical forces while they are used. To better respond to the horizontal forces that may be experienced by the ladder, knee braces have been used to connect the bottom step or horizontal with a rail. The present invention is directed to an improved knee brace that has been combined with a rail support and preferably a foot to better respond to horizontal forces, and increase manufacturing efficiency. Furthermore, by placing the rivets through the flanges of the rail and the knee brace, it allows an automatic riveter to be used, which is already being applied to other sections of the ladder being assembled. This further increases the efficiency of manufacturing. However, just as important, or probably more important, by placing the rivets on the flange, the rails are strengthened against shear forces. When, for instance, the ladder is being unloaded from a vehicle, it sometimes happens that the end of a rail falls against the ground. When the rail end hits the ground, shear forces are created in the rail. By having the rivets in the flange where the rivets are perpendicularly oriented against the shear forces that arise in such circumstances, the rivets and thus the rail is better able to absorb such shear forces without suffering any damage. In addition, to increase material efficiency, buttressing in the brace, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,255, is eliminated.